Tag: Investor

Tradestation became a brokerage back in 1982. Since then it has taken pride in the fact that it’s a leader when it comes to trader technology. It offers one of the best platforms out there for traders everywhere. It brings over 30 years of solid experience to the table, and is taking all that with them into today. Take a look at TradeStation 2015 to Today.

Fees and Commissions

Tradestation doesn’t offer support to all trading types. That includes futures and forex. This review is aimed on their equities and options. They have 3 different commission structures you can choose from for the equities, and another 2 for their options.

NOTE – Mutual funds aren’t supported through this platform and therefore have to be phoned in.

In some ways Tradestation is like Interactive Brokers, MB Trading, Lightspeed, and more, in the fact that they do require that clients purchase real-time data feeds before they can trade.

There is on main fee that new clients need to watch for – the $99 a month charge for their software. This fee can certainly be waived, that is, if specific activity levels are reached (or your account is at the $100,000 level). If you’re an equities trader, then you have to trade at least 5,000 shares a month. If you’re an options trader, then it takes 50 contracts to avoid paying this fee.

Tools

Tradestation has tools that will cater to any type of investor and that includes hedge funds. Over 40 years of solid historical data can be made available for trading equities. For those who like to chart and study, this is ideal. When it comes to functionality they can offer back-testing via Portfolio Maestro as well as customized scanning of market opportunities.

Charting gives investors a way of performing deep analysis and customizing indicators using numerous options. This is a thing that only their competitors like TD Ameritrade‘s ‘thinkorswim’ platform could match up to. Over 150 studies/indicators are there for inclusion. Investors can adjust or rework them to their exact specification.

Tradestation also features other tools like their Scanner, Radar Screen, Walk-Forward Optimizer, Matrix (ladder trading), and much more.

Some novice investors toss around the terms options and futures like they are interchangeable, when in fact, they are actually two very different things. Both involve the purchase or sale of a future commodity such as stocks or bonds, but the conditions of the sale are what set them apart. Options and futures are also both ways to hedge your investments, which means they reduce your financial risk if the market goes sour.

Futures

In the stock market, a futures contract is an agreement between two parties to buy or sell a set amount of stocks by a predetermined date. However, where this gets tricky, is that investors can also sell their futures contract. Investors are typically in the long position because they agree to buy the stocks. Businesses are in the short position because they agree to sell the stock according to the terms of the contract. However, investors can go short if they sell the futures contract. Typically investors pay an upfront 20% investment called a margin. During the term of the contract though, they never actually own the stocks; they just have the rights to purchase the stocks at a later date. For example, say you agree to buy 200 shares of Apple stock at $100 per share by June 1st. Your futures contract is worth $20,000 at the time you enter the agreement. If the stock goes up to $125, you can sell the contract early and make a considerable profit. If the value of the stock goes down, you will lose more than your initial investment. Futures are considered a high-risk investment. Once you enter into a futures contract you are obligated to buy or sell that stock upon expiration unless you sell the futures contract to someone else first.

Options

The biggest difference between futures and options is that with an option contract you are not obligated to purchase the commodity when the contract comes to term. However, you do have to pay an upfront premium fee. If you choose not to purchase the stocks then you forfeit the premium fee. Returning to the Apple example, you can purchase an options contract to buy 200 shares of stock at $100 each for $2,000. If for some reason the stock plummets to $100 per share, you can forfeit your option and you only lose the premium fee of $2,000 instead paying $20,000 for stock that is only worth $10,000. Because investors are not obligated to fulfill options contracts as they were with futures contracts, options are considered a much lower-risk form of investment.

Any type of speculative investment comes with risk. Although options are safer than futures, both should be approached conservatively if you are a novice investor. Most investors that buy futures and options have years of experience with the stock market and top-notch financial advisors. However, if you are interested in trading stocks and futures than it is a good idea to speaking with a reputable financial advisor before making any investments.

About the Author: Natisha Antill is a finance student who is seriously considering entering the world of day trading when she has more time to focus on a plan. She enjoys reading Timothy Sykes reviews and studying the procedures used by today’s most successful traders.

A Forex practice account is an ideal introduction to trading metals and foreign currencies. The best way to learn is by hands- on experience. A Forex practice account offers this type of experience without risking real money. Even if fundamental concepts are already understood, strategies may be developed and tested.

Many are skeptical about trading. Trading, however, offers the highest possible returns out of any type of investment. Any money that is invested is subject to some amount of risk. And any money that is invested will be traded, in one form or another. It will simply be done by someone else. Trading allows an investor to take control of their own investment decisions, rather than to have someone else make those decisions. Some may think that brokers know better and will make safer decisions, but generally investors are most careful with their own money.

Everyone knows that it is foolish not to invest savings. A Forex practice account allows investors to learn about trading, experiment with strategy, and review results. The results from a practice account may not be identical to trading with real money, but it is an excellent educational tool.

The reason many people prefer to have their money handled by someone else is that they are overwhelmed by new concepts that seem strange, or they do not feel confident making their own investment decisions. A Forex practice account allows anyone to easily overcome these obstacles, and to learn for themselves how simple it really is.

Many think that trading on Forex is exotic and risky. However, commodities such as valuable and precious metals are some of the most solid investments possible. The applications of these metals are limitless, and the demand increases constantly. A practice account allows any skeptic to see for themselves how reliable and consistent the market really is, and how simple and straightforward it is. After learning about trading from a hands-on perspective, it will be much easier to overcome insecurity and ignorance.

If investors decide to start trading for real on Forex, they will enjoy the fullest benefit of the returns earned, without brokers, consultants and financial planners taking a huge bite.

Option trading can be defined as a form of investment that is now getting common. It is a fact that people do not have much understanding regarding this kind of investment. It is better to learn option trading because it does involve a huge range of possibilities and opportunities within it. The markets of this kind of investment are currently making huge profits. For this reason, a number of individual investors are focusing over investing in to this kind of investment plan. Many professional investors as well as institutional ones are also heading forward towards this investment scheme. Learning is very important in order to make the most of this plan. If it is well understood then it is expected that great returns and profits can be generated. This plan is usually in the form of a contract between the buyer and the purchaser. The purchaser will be given with the rights of selling and purchasing afterwards.

Options trading tips should be taken and followed in order to have a successful investment. It is required to get these tips as this kind of trading is not very simple. For this reason, every professional advices to take the tips before making any investment in this trading type. It is always recommended that risk capital should be utilized in this kind of investment so in case of loss you might not suffer much. It is also mentioned that the purchaser should thoroughly go through the contract that has been made with the seller. This is very essential for the future as well. A life time has been given to this kind of trading plans and the contract has to be exercised by the purchaser before this time period. After that life time, there is no worth of this contract. It is a bit complicated kind of contract and should be well understood.